FYI - this report is for sightings from March 13 through March 19 and was
compiled by Joe Coleman & transcribed by Steve Cordle.
Joe Coleman
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 3/20/2012
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE/WV panhandle
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports, comments, questions:
(e-mail): voice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
Compiler: Joe Coleman
Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the
Central Atlantic States (independent of NAS!)
Transcriber: Steve Cordle
Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular user of
the Voice (Individual $50; Family $65; Nature Steward $100; Audubon
Advocate $200). The membership number is 301-652-9188, option 12; the
address is 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815; and the web
site is http://www.AudubonNaturalist.org.
This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon
Naturalist Society. This report was completed Tuesday, March 20 at
10:30 AM.
Top birds this week are VIRGINIA'S WARBLER* in MD, BREWER'S SPARROW*
in VA, and LE CONTE'S SPARROW* in MD.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, NORTHERN FULMAR, MANX
SHEARWATER, AMERICAN BITTERN, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GOLDEN EAGLE,
VIRGINIA RAIL, SORA, shorebirds, BLACK-HEADED GULL, LITTLE GULL,
RAZORBILL, EURASIAN-COLLARED DOVE, warblers, sparrows, and RUSTY
BLACKBIRD.
Two of the most interesting aspects of this past week were the many
early First-of-Season sightings, several of which were record setting;
and the many birds nesting much earlier than normal.
The VIRGINIA'S WARBLER* is still being seen at the Pickering Creek
Audubon Center in Talbot Co, MD, with the most recent report from
March 18. To find the bird, take the gravel entrance road into
Pickering Creek Audubon and park in the lot on the left; take the
trail that heads towards the impoundments and begin looking in the
bushes on both sides of the path in both scrubby fields. Pickering
Creek has asked that the following practices be adopted immediately by
those searching for the bird: 1. In general, do what you can to
minimize the chaos and confusion for the bird due to your searching.
2. In particular - please respect the fact that the habitat of the
field where the bird has been seen is a warm season grass meadow
disrupted only by a minimal set of deer trails. This meadow has not
previously been tramped down by human traffic, and it would be best to
keep it that way. Therefore, birders are asked to do their searching
through use of existing mown trails, driveways, mowed fields, and
dormant agriculture lands, but are asked to NOT trample through the
warm season grassy meadows. Such trampling is not likely to produce
the bird, and will likely result in the bird leaving the entire area.
The BREWER'S SPARROW* was seen again March 17 at the Occoquan NWR,
Prince William Co VA.
The LE CONTE'S SPARROW* continued to be seen throughout the week at
the Irvine Nature Center, Owings Mills, Baltimore Co, MD, with a
sighting as recently as March 18.
The flock of 13 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE* was still at the Hestons
Farm Ponds off of Shilom Rd in the Stuarts Draft area of Augusta Co,
VA on March 15 and 16. The COMMON TEAL at Lilypons, Frederick Co, MD
was seen again March 15 and 16. A COMMON TEAL was also found March 18
on Raymond's Pool, Bombay Hook NWR, DE. A WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was
found March 18 at Piscataway Park, Prince George's Co, MD.
The highlight of a March 17 pelagic trip out of Ocean City MD was the
large number of MANX SHEARWATERS found, 112. Among the other birds
seen were several NORTHERN FULMARS and RAZORBILLS, and a LITTLE GULL.
Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax Co, VA seemed to be the place to find
AMERICAN BITTERNS, VIRGINIA RAILS, and SORAS this past week. AMERICAN
BITTERNS were seen there on March 13 and 19 while, on March 18, an
AMERICAN BITTERN, two VIRGINIA RAILS, and two SORAS were observed
there. A VIRGINIA RAIL and a SORA were also found March 19 at Point
Lookout SP, St Mary's Co, MD.
A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen March 19 at Sky Meadows State Park,
Fauquier Co, VA.
A juvenile GOLDEN EAGLE was seen March 18 flying along Carr Road near
Upperville in northwestern Fauquier Co, VA.
There were approximately 100 WILLETS and 50 MARBLED GODWITS among the
many shorebirds at Swan's Cove, Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA, on
March 15.
A single BLACK-HEADED GULL was also seen there. A BLACK-HEADED GULL
was seen March 15 flying up the river at Lapidum, Harford Co, MD.
A EURASIAN-COLLARED DOVE was found March 18 at a backyard feeder on
Ocean Blvd, Chincoteague, Accomack Co, VA.
The LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE in the Ashville Park development in Virginia
Beach, VA, was seen again on March 16. Two LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were
found March 17 along Cattleman Rd in the Swoope area of western
Augusta Co, VA.
The ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER reported from Linkwood, Dorchester Co MD,
was seen again on March 14 and the one at the Florence Rd Silage Pit,
Howard Co, MD, was seen again on March 17. There were also several
reports of early warblers throughout the area.
The CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was seen again March 18 in the north section
of the E. A. Vaughn WMA (North), Worcester Co, MD. The Assateague
Island SP (MD) Pumphouse 2 LARK SPARROW was seen again March 18.
The LARK SPARROW* along Brenneman Ln, Augusta Co, VA was seen again on
March 16.
A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was found March 19 at Sky Meadows State Park,
Fauquier Co, VA.
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen throughout the week in a number of
locations.
Most of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey,
VA-Bird, West Virginia Birding List, and DE-Birds list servers.
The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606,
http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/default.asp?page=511) is an excellent
source for guidebooks and many other nature-related titles.
To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
voice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or call 301-652-1088. Please post reports
before midnight Monday, identify the county as well as state, and
include your name and a Tuesday morning contact, either e-mail or
phone.
Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.
*Of interest to the records committee
